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G. S. KNAPP.

Chimney Cleaner.

, Patented Jan. 18, 1870.

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Letters Patent No. 98,980, dated January 18, 1870.

CHIMNEY-CLEANER.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE S. KNAPP, of Winome, in the county of Winona, and State of Minnesota,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Cleaning Chimneys; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, making partv of this specification, and ,to the letters of reference marked thereon, like letters indicating like parts wherever they occur.

To enable others skilled in the 'art to construct and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

My invention consists in a novel construction of device or instrument for cleaning chimneys, whereby the operation can be performed in a speedy and satisfactory manner, without the necessity of having the operator enter the flue, as hereinafter more fully explained.

Figure. 1 is a vertical section, taken on the line iz-x of fig. 2, and

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the implement.

The operation of cleaning or sweeping chimneys, as usually performed, is an exceedingly difficult and disagreeable one, and can only be performed by small boys or persons of small size.

The object of my invention is to furnish an instrument by which the operation can be performed, in an effectual manner, by a person'operating from the top of the chimney, and without entering the same.

To accomplish this, 1 construct a device or implement as follows:

I make a head or frame, consisting of two plates, A, united by cross bolts, on the two upper of which, I mount friction-rollers b, which project, so that whenever the head or frame A is brought against the walls of the chimney, the rollers only will rest against it.

To the two lower cross-bolts, I secure two springrods or arms, 0, having attached to their lower ends, suitable scrapers or brushes; there'being in this case a spring-scraper, H, on one arm, and a brush, I, on the other, as shown in fig. 1.

On these arms 0, I place a sliding frame, D, which, like the head A, consists of two plates united by crossbolts 0 and n,- the two upper bolts, 0, being placed outside of the arms 0, and the two bolts, n,being placed inside or between the arms, as shown in fig. 1.

As the arms 0 are slightly curved or bent outward, it follows that as the sliding frame D is moved up,

the lower ends of the arms are spread further apart by the bolts n, and are held by the bolts 0, the latter serving to draw them together, as the frame D is moved down on the arms.

To the head A is secured a bail or clevis, B, which has an opening in each side at the top, for a cord, L, to pass through, as shown in figs. 1 and 2, and to the top of this bail Bis fastened a staple, a, to which a cord, J, is secured; this cord J serving to raise and lower the instrument in the chimney.

The cord L, which is ofequal length with the cord J, is divided into two cords, a short distance above the head of the instrument, one part passing through a hole in one side of the bail B, in between the plates of head A, and thence out through a hole in the centre of said plate to the outside, and from thence, down through eyes 0, on the outside of the sliding frame D, to a short distance below said frame; the other strand or part of cord L, passing in like manner down on the opposite side, as represented in fig. 2; the two uniting below the frame D, where they are connect-ed, byasmall cord, 0, to the frame D, and also to another cord, P, which has attached, to its lower end, a weight, F, as shown in fig. 1.

By this arrangement of the cords, it will be seen, that while the instrument, as a whole, may be raised or lowered, by means of the cord J, the sliding frame D and the weight F may be raised or lowered by the cord L, independent of the other parts; that is, the

frame D may he slid up or-doivn on the arms 0, while the latter remain stationary, except as they are spread apart or drawn together, by the sliding up or down of the frame D thereon.

The operation is as follows:

The instrument is taken to the top of the chimney, and the frame D slid down, so as to draw the arms 0 together sufficiently to permit the instrument to be dropped down the chimney. \Vhen at the bottom, the operator draws up the cord L, so as to cause the sliding frame D to press the arms asunder, thereby pressing the scrapers -or brushes out against the sides of the chimney, and then, by pulling on both cords Iand L, the instrument is drawn up, and scrapes off or removes the adhering soot as it ascends.

The weight F serves to slide the frame D down, at

any time when the 'cord L is loosened, and, if of sufficient weight, it will also draw the instrument down the chimney bodily, wliile the arms 0 are kept pressed out with more or less force, and thus operate while descending, the same as when ascending, though to a less degree.

By this method of constructing the implement, it can be adjusted to suit different-sized chimneys, and can be operated by a single person from theoutside, thus making it a very efficient and convenient instrument for the purpose designed.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim, is

1. An instrumentfor cleaning chimneys, consisting of the head A, spring-arms 0, having suitable scrapers or brushes attached thereto, and the sliding frame D, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described.

2. The arrangement of the cord J and the auxiliary cord 19, with the sliding frame D and weight F, substantially as described.

p GEO. S. KNAPP. \Vitnesses;

J osmn H. Jones, Jonn J. RANDALL- 

